Transplanter



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. H.1-BEMIS. TRANSPLANTER.

N0."520,478. Patented May 29, 1894.

NITED STATES PATENT FFIGE.

TRANSPLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 520,478, dated May 29,1894. Applicatlml filed October 16, 1893. Serial No. 488,250. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRED H. BEMIs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Footville, Rock county, Wisconsin, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Transplanters, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to machines for transplanting plants, such astobacco, cabbage, tomato and the like, and it has for its object theprovision of a ple, inexpensive and thoroughly efficient in use.

- The novelty of my invention will be hereinafter set forth andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a plan view of atransplanter embodying my invention, but with the water tank and conduitremoved therefrom. Fig. 2, Sheet 2, is a sectional side elevation of themachine. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is an enlarged detail of the trippingdog andassociated parts. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a detail front elevation of theyoke connecting the seat bars.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts inall the figures.

The main frame of the machine is composed of two forwardly convergingside bars A and a rear transverse bar or axle B having spindles on whichare journaled the two supporting wheels 0. Under the front end of theframe is journaled a caster-Wheel D of the usual or any suitableconstruction. Upon the frame is supported the tank or water barrel E,Fig. 2, and extending down from the frame, on each side, are two rigidsupports F, to the lower ends of which, as at a, are pivoted the forwarddiverging ends of the two part draw bar G, carrying at its rear end thefurrow opener H and scrapers, or covers, I of the usual or any suitableconstruction. Like-.

wise, pivoted as at a to the supports F, are the two rearwardlyextending parallel seat bars J carrying seats b for the plant setters.

The rear ends of the seat bars are connected by a bar K pivoted orconnected thereto so as to maintain the seat bars always equidistant,but not to prevent their independent up and down play to a limitedextent. In addimachine that shall be simtion to their being pivoted asat a, so as to have up and down play both together and inplant-settersthereon, while at work, and to regulate the pressure of the wheels M onthe ground, I employ stout coiled springs N which have their forwardends secured to the frame, and have, extending from the rear ends,chains 0 which pass back over grooved rollers 01, journaled on the beamB, and thence down to the seat beams, which have hooks 6 thereon toengage the links of the chains. By this construction, should thecharacter of the soil require but a light pressure, the seat bars can beraised and engaged with upper links of the chain, so that when theplants'etters sit on the seats, the springs will be put under tensionand will partly support the weight of the plant-setters, as will bereadily understood. This construction also allows an adjustment of theseat bars to give equal pressure of the wheels M, when the plant-settersare of unequal weights. If, for instance, one of them was a man and theother a boy, the

mans seat-bar would be raised and the boys lowered, so that the springsN would equalize In this simple but elficient their weight. manner, thepressure of the wheels M can be regulated at will, and in this featureof my invention, I do not limit myself to pressure wheels alone, as thesame result would be obtained by any soil-pressing device carried by theseat bars.

The next feature of my invention relates to the sidewise or horizontaladjustment of the seat bars, which is a very important feature inplanting on side hills. Without it, in

planting on side hills, owing to the tendency of the machine to slip orslide down the hill, the presser wheels would not evenly straddle thefurrow and rows of plants, and one of the wheels might even run over anddestroy the plants. To remedy. this objection, I provide for the lateralswinging of the seat bars on their forward supports at a, as beforedescribed, and I provide a yoke bar 0, see Fig. 4, with pendent sidearms f, which extend down loosely through perforated lugs 9 secured tothe seat bars. The bar 0 extends, and is adjustable, through supportinglugs or eyes it on the front face of the beam B and has upon it a rackt', which is engaged by a latchj pivoted on the beam B. From thisconstruction, it will be seen that While the seat bars can be moved upand down, the

lugs g, playing freely on the arms f, yet they are locked by the yokebar and latch j from any sidewise movement. But in side hill work, thelatch is disengaged from the rack and the seat bars are swung togethersidewise and up hill, bodily by the plant-setters taking hold of themand swinging them up and are then relocked by the latch in theirproperly adjusted positions so that the slipping of the machine, downhill, brings the presser wheels in proper position on each side of thefurrow. In returning on the next row, the latch would again bedisengaged and the seat bars swung in the manner above described in theopposite direction with reference to the machine, but still up hill, andagain be relocked, as will be readily understood.

The next feature of my invention relates to the means for raising andlowering the draw bar and furrow opener and forcing the latter into theground to the proper depth underall conditions of the soil. Thisconsists in a hand lock lever P, pivoted on the beam B, as at 70, andengaged by a segment rack Q, on the beam. There is an upward and forwardextension l, of the lever P, to which is connected the upper end of asubstantially vertical bar 1%, whose lower end is pivoted by a pin orbolt 'n, Fig. 2. A coiled spring 0 surrounds the bar m, and is confinedat its ends between the end of the lever P and an adj ustable seatingpiece q carried upon the bar m and held up by a key or spring cotterinserted through one of a series of perforations in the bar, to regulatethe initial tension of the spring 0. There may be a similar seatingpiece between the upper end of the spring and the extension Z, of thelever, and a pin r is passed through the extension of the lever and aslot in the upper end of the bar m, as shown. It will be seen from thisconstruction, that when the leverPis raised, the draw bar and runnerwill be forced down by the compression of the spring alone, and in thisway the depth of penetration of the runner, is regulated and adjusted asdesired. When the lever P is drawn down, the tension of the spring isreleased and the end wall of the slot in the bar m, coming in contactwith the pin a", the draw bar and runner are lifted entirely from theground. Under this last adj ustment, chains p extending from theextension Z of the lever to the seat bars, which chains are slack whenthe seat bars and runner are down at work, will be made taut and willlift the seat bars also up from the ground, as will be readilyunderstood.

The next feature of my invention relates to the distribution of water inthe furrow, and

the means for the regular and automatic spacing of the plants therein.To this end I provide a rock shaft R, journaled below and parallel tothe beams Bin bearings secured thereto, and having three crank arms 8,t, a, pro ectingtherefrom. Of thesethe first, 3, on the outer end of therock shaft and projecting forward, carries a spring dog 4), Fig. 3,pivoted thereto and engaged at equal intervals by pro ections to on adisk S secured to the adjacent wheel 0 and concentric therewith, so thatthe revolution of the wheel, as the machine advances, turns the rockshaft a limited distance for each projection and then releases it aseach projection passes the dog. The next crank arm 25 extendsforwardbelowthe rockshaft and has adjustably pivoted thereto, theforward end of a rod S, which extends downward and rearward and carriesa suitable hand guide T just in rear of a valve casing U carried by andmovable with the draw bar G in rear of the furrow opener. The rod S withits hand guide, is free to slide backward and forward in any suitableguide support as a pro ecting up from the drawbar. arm to extends upvertically from the rock shaft and has pivoted at its upper end the rearend of a forwardly projecting rod 12 which, properly supported, in thisinstance by a cross rod 0' between the supports F,has its forward endadj ustably connected to a rod 01', which extends back and has its rearend connected to any suitable device or handle 6' for operating thevalve within the casing U. A pipe f connects the valve casing U with thewater tank E. A coiled spring g is shown connecting the rod 1) with thecross rod 0' to hold the parts in normal position with the valve closed,with the hand guide T in its foremost position and with the crank arm toresting against the beam B to afford a stop resisting the action of thespring g. Any other suitably arranged spring connecting this system oflevers or movable arms with a fixed part of the machine, would answerthe same purpose.

It will be readily understood from the above description and referenceto the accompanying drawings, that as the machine advances and eachsuccessive projection w engages the dog '0', the rock shaft R is rockedforward, thereby pressing forward the rods 1) andd' and opening thevalve in the casing U to permit a flow of water into the furrow, andpressing back the rod S and hand guide T which latter, while going back,remains stationary with reference to the ground, owing to the speed ofthe machine in moving forward and the proper adjustment of the parts,the projection w having passed the dog 1;, the spring 9 resets theparts. The travel of the hand guide T is regulated to properly space theplants, so that the plant-setters on the The third crank IIC seats I)alternately rest their hands, holding a plant with its roots in thefurrow where the water has been deposited, against the guide T, whichtravels backward with reference to the machine as it advances, butremains stationarywith reference to the ground, until, just as thescrapers I draw the earth into the furrow around the roots, the handguide is thrown forward and the other plant setter has a plant ready andplaces it in position to be operated on as above.

While I have described and prefer the use of a valve in the dischargeend of the water conduit, it is evident that such valve and itsoperating devices may be dispensed with, in which case the water wouldflow into the furrow continuously.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In a transplanter,the combination of a furrow opener, a Water tank, a water conduittherefrom discharging in rear of the furrow opener and a separatemovable hand guide automatically operated to retain the hand of theoperator at a fixed point in the furrow.

2. In a transplanter, the'combination of a furrow opener, a water tank,a conduit there from discharging in rear of the furrow opener, a valvein said conduit, means for opening and closing the same, and a separatemovable hand guide automatically operated to retain the hand of theoperator at a fixed point in the furrow. I

3. In a transplanter, the combination of a furrow opener, a water tankhaving a discharging valve in rearof the furrow opener, a separatemovable hand guide for the plantsetter and means operated by thetraction of the machine for opening said valve and carrying said handguide first backward and then forward.

4. In a transplanter, the combination of a furrow opener, a seat bar forthe plant-setters on each side thereof and having both vertical andhorizontal play, earth pressing devices carried by said bars, a yokeconnecting said bars, and a lock for holding said bars in theirhorizontally adjusted positions, substantially as described.

5. In a transplanter, the combination of a furrow opener, a seat bar forthe plant-setters on each side thereof and having both vertical andhorizontal play, a press wheel carried by each bar, a yoke connectingsaid bars and a lock for holding said bars in their horizontallyadjusted positions, substantially as described.

6. In a transplanter, the combination of a furrow opener, a pivoted seatbar for the plantsetters on eachside of the furrow opener, an earthpressing device carried by each bar, a supporting spring for each seatbar and adj ustable connections between said springs and seat bars, forthe purpose specified.

7. In a transplanter, the combination of a furrow opener, a pivoted seatbar for the plantsetters on each side of the furrow opener, a presswheel carried by each bar, a supportlng spring for each seat bar andadjustable flexible connections between said springs and seat bars,substantially as described.

8. In a transplan-ter, the combination of the main frame, the springs Nconnected thereto at one end, the pivoted seat bars J with press wheelsM, and the chains 0 passed over guide rollers 01 and connected at oneend to the seat bars and at the other to the springs N, substantially asdescribed. I

9. In a transplanter,tho combination of the main frame the pivoted seatbars J carrying press wheels M, the yoke 0 having lateral ad justment onthe main frame and connecting the seat bars and a rack and latchconnection between said yoke and main frame, substantially as described.

10. In a transplanter, the combination of the rock shaft R with crankarms st u, an adjustable rod S carrying a hand guide T in rear of thefurrow opener and pivoted to the arm t, the rod 1) pivoted to the arm n,the rod (1 adjustably pivoted to the rod 5 and connected at its rear endto a valve controlling device in a water discharge conduit, a trip dogpivoted to the arm .9, a spring, as g, for resetting the parts, andtripping projections w on a disk carried by one of the wheels of themachine, substantially as described.

FRED H. BEMIS.

Witnesses BERNARD J. HANSFELD, WM. J. Pno

